A Moment In Time
by EbonyBeach
Summary: And suddenly she understood, as she lost herself in his eyes, that the thing that mattered most to him in all of Arda was not being a fearsome warrior or a mighty king it was simply the need to love and be loved. AA their waiting is over.


Firstly, I have to dedicate this to the film I watched twice yesterday and once this morning, and am planning to watch again this afternoon.... yes, ROTK EE DVD! It is absolutely AMAZING!! If you want details of all the new scenes, go to my profile page! Fav quote: Random guy "Oh yeah, you and whose army?" Sexy Aragorn: "This army!"

Secondly, there is a teency weency SPOILER in here from the EE DVD, the bit about the Palantír, which is such a sweet bit in the film, if also really really sad!

And now, on with the story... A/N this takes place afterAragorn's coronation.... enjoy!

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There was nothing Aragorn could say, no words that could express the overwhelming mix of emotions he was feeling. All he could do was hold her, losing himself in the scent of her hair, praying for death before the second he would be forced to let her go.

Arwen clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her alive, and at that moment she knew he was. Tears poured silently down her cheeks, happiness like she had never before known. She didn't dare open her eyes, incase this was all a dream and there was no one to hold her, no one to love and protect her.

But when she felt his lips on hers, his love reflected in a drowning kiss, she knew that she would never be alone again. They had come so far together, through the good times and the bad, the painful separations and tearful reunions. But now it was all over. The War of the Ring had ended, the battle was won. Aragorn was King Of Gondor and Arnor, his destiny was fulfilled. And so was his heart.

He didn't know if it was the fact that he hadn't seen her for months and thought her twice either departing for Valinor or dying, but she had never looked more beautiful. Indeed even Lúthien couldn't compete with his Evenstar, so uncomparable was her beauty. They had waited so long for this moment, to hold each other and know they would never have to let go again. Loving her from afar was one thing, but to have her right there in his arms: he couldn't even begin to imagine what he would be without her.

When she reached up to touch his cheek, she felt tears that were not her own and opened her eyes. In all the time she had known him, she had never seen him cry, not in the face of battle nor death. Yet here he was, the man she loved so desperately, crying because of her. And suddenly she understood, as she lost herself in his eyes, that the thing that mattered most to him in all of Arda was not being a fearsome warrior or a mighty king - it was simply the need to love and be loved. And then all their long years of waiting and hoping were forgotten, and they were complete.

They were standing so close that her nose grazed his cheek, their eyes locked in the most intimate of gazes. He held her face gently in his hands, unsure whether or not to touch her and face the possibility of her perfect image shattering infront of him, just a fragment of his imagination. However she was real, and she reached out to brush a strand of hair behind his ear. This action seemed to trigger the slowing down of time, and as her eyes flicked to his mouth and back again, she parted her lips and succumbed completely to the man she loved.

And, finding he was so weak infront of this beautiful Elf that resistance was impossible, he leaned down and met her lips and tongue with his own, sliding his hands down her shoulders and into her silken hair. He gently pulled her head forward to deepen the kiss, and discovered that she was fighting the same battle with resistance, and losing just like him.

She leaned into him, gripping his shirt in her hands as he awoke within her the burning desire that filled her soul. She felt a shiver run down her spine as he pressed her against the wall of the alcove, where they had at last found an escape from the celebrations that had swept through the city. After a millenia of waiting, Gondor had finally found its king.

And in Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond, Evenstar of her people, he had found his queen.

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When they finally broke apart from their kiss, Aragorn leaned his forehead against hers, feeling her chest rise and fall against his as he held her tightly. Words came to him then, and he whispered to her quietly, stroking her soft hair, staring deep into her sapphire eyes.

"Before your father came to me at Dunharrow, I thought you were gone. I thought I would never see you again, and even though I knew you would be safe, I hated myself for lying to you. Then I had a dream one night. You were not sailing to the Undying Lands - you were dying. I dropped the Evenstar and it smashed, and I knew then that I couldn't give up hope, not if it meant saving you. Saving us."

He paused for a moment, closing his eyes to gather himself. "Lord Elrond confirmed my beliefs when he gave me Andúril, and I went on fighting, ignoring my own pain for the greater good; for you. Then a week later I looked into Saruman's Palantír and revealed myself to the Dark Lord. And he showed me my dream, like he had been inside my head the whole time. I couldn't bear it, to see you dying and knowing there was nothing I could do about it. I stood up and the Evenstar fell... It- it shattered, into a million tiny fragments."

He touched the hollow of her neck where the pendant had once hung, his eyes flicking back to hers. "That was when I knew I would save you or die trying."

Arwen could do nothing but look at him, this incredible man who had walked fearlessly into Mordor for her, and for the freedom of all the peoples of Middle Earth. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips before she spoke. "You do not need a necklace to prove your love to me, nor do you need to lead an army or save the world. All you need is to look at me and smile, and I know that you will always be with me."

Aragorn kissed her again, needing to show her how he felt in a way that words could not. "Always," he said quietly. "Always will I love you."

Those words did something to her then, and she felt a fresh wave of tears build up as he pulled her once more into such a close embrace that she thought he could quite easily break her ribs. But although he was strong, he was gentle too, and held her only with the softest of touches, as though he was frightened she might break in his arms.

They stayed like this until darkness came to Minas Tirith, the celebrations continuing through the night. They had both gone through so much pain and despair, but now they were together, none of that mattered. Stories of their deeds in the great War of the Ring would be told throughout all of Arda; ages would come and pass, and the tales would become legend, and then myth, eventually to be no more than meaningless names like all the rest. But the love Aragorn Elessar Telcontar and Arwen Undómiel shared would never be forgotten.

For it was this love that had ultimately determined the fate of all. It was this love that had given them courage during their long years apart, and the strength to fight for one another against the greatest evil of the age. It was this love that would live on, forever.

The End.

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I would just like to thank everyone who reviewed Truth Or Dare chapters 7 and 8... the epilogue will be coming soon, I promise!

And now I go to watch rotk again, whilst you be nice and review! ;) hehehe!

ps if anyone has seen the ee dvd, I really need someone to talk to about it (mainly about how gorgeous Aragorn is, but also about the lovely eowyn/faramir fluff, so email me and we'll ramble on together!)


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